Origin Story
I taught my first lessons in 2015 while I was still a college student. By 2016 I was managing a full teaching practice under the name BouttavongMusic. As that studio grew across the Middle Tennessee region, I found my first real proof that this work was a calling rather than just a job.
When I moved to Delaware in 2019, the studio evolved into MotivatedMusic. That shift in name reflected a genuine shift in my approach. I was learning more about myself as an educator, understanding what actually makes a student successful and refining the clarity on the kind of impact I wanted to leave.
Then the scope of the work expanded. Serving as a Brass Teaching Artist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids program and directing the ensembles at Newark Charter Intermediate School gave me a new lens. Private lessons build the individual. Classroom teaching showed me that music is a connecting force. It gives students a secure place to belong while they figure out who they are.
Delaware Brass Institute is the culmination of everything that came before it. It is official, grounded and built to last. The mission here is bigger than the lesson room. We are here to develop students who excel at their instrument, to elevate brass education across this region and to build the kind of musical community that anchors a student in every area of their life. Just like it did for me.
What I offer through DBI
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From first notes to advanced repertoire, lessons are built around where you actually are and where you want to go. Healthy fundamentals, honest feedback, and real progress.
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Foundational instruction across the brass family (horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba), grounded in the same healthy playing principles. Students ready for advanced study are connected to trusted professional specialists in the region — because your growth comes first.
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Honor band, All-State, youth orchestra, collegiate auditions. Preparation that covers the music, the mindset, and the pressure — from someone who has been on both sides of the audition table.
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For post-college and working musicians: a trusted set of ears and a safe place to exchange musical and teaching ideas. Whether you are preparing for an audition, refining your playing, or thinking through your own teaching, this is colleague-to-colleague work built on honesty and mutual respect.
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A DBI signature. Students record a professionally produced multi-track project of themselves — every part, every layer — and walk away with proof of what they are capable of.
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Every student performs. Recitals are built into studio life because performing is a skill, not a talent — and confidence on stage is learned by being on one.
For Students & Families
For Schools, Ensembles, and Programs
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Focused sessions for your trumpet or brass sections covering fundamentals, sound production, performance mindset, and healthy playing habits. My goal is simple: bring an approach that helps your students find real joy in the work, and leave your program with momentum that continues long after the session ends.
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Extended work with your program — multiple visits, sectionals, individual coaching, and ensemble support designed around your goals as a director. A consistent expert presence your students get to know and trust.
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Honest, constructive evaluation for festivals, competitions, and assessments — delivered with the same standard I hold in my own classroom: high expectations, real feedback, and respect for every student who walks on stage.
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Arranging has been part of my musicianship for as long as the trumpet has. I write custom arrangements and editions for any ensemble, any instrumentation, and any experience level — including work created for my students and ensembles as a Brass Teaching Artist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's OrchKids program. Every arrangement is built on three commitments: it has to sound good, it has to be accessible for the performers in front of it, and it has to be correct in its theory and orchestration. Commissions are open.
Where this is headed
Delaware Brass Institute is still growing. The vision reaches beyond private lessons — toward recitals, ensembles, masterclasses, and a stronger brass community across Delaware and the surrounding region. What exists today is the foundation. If you want to be part of what it becomes, the door is open.